The steamer is a vital part of many commercial and institutional kitchens. Since its introduction, the bulk steamer has been the only steamer appliance capable of producing adequate steam for rapid and large volume food production. All of these bulk steamers feature a cavity for cooking food product and a separate steam generator for steam production connected via steam transmission tube. The problem with this design of a steam generation system is the formation of lime scale inside the steam generator. Many cleaning methods and different generator designs have been developed over the years; however nothing has been developed to effectively and efficiently eradicate the lime scale build up, which results in steamer down-time and costly service calls. These service calls are required to professionally clean the steam generator or replace it.
Bulk steamers with the steam generator separate from the cavity cannot be thoroughly cleaned by the user of the equipment, thus creating service calls and unnecessary down time. Connectionless steamers can be made with a steam generator which is integral to the steamer cavity. However, these connectionless steamers do not create the same amount of steam as a bulk steamer. In a connectionless steamer, the condensate forms and is then reintroduced to the boiling reservoir. A connectionless steamer does not have a condensate drain or a water trapping lid. For the end user that needs the power of the bulk steamer, the connectionless steamer is not an option, but the need for an easy to clean generator is still there.